Kaylee's crayon activity tote

The tote is a little big but it can hold color books and 

color wonder lap desks too as pictured here.

Crayon tote

I made the handle extra long because Kaylee likes to wear her bags/purses cross-body style which is very popular today in high fashion.  Models are wearing purses that way and Kaylee seems to have picked up on that because she wears her silver sequined heart shaped purse that way. 

I lined the inside and rolled the hem with the variegated rainbow thread so that it would match the outside.  

I haven't made any crayon totes in awhile so I decided to make Kaylee her very own crayon tote.  I used rainbow striped fabric, rainbow variegated thread with yellow and red fabric on my serger.  

I started out making the stretchy crayon pockets to hold the crayons or pencils as pictured here.   I made the pockets big enough to hold the toddler coloring pencils or markers so that we could leave it in the car and not have it melt all over the upholstery. The reason I made the

pockets stretchy is so that Kaylee could easily take the pencils in and out of the tote.  It also allowed me to learn how to use the new elastic foot on my serger.  I admit it took me several tries to use the elastic foot with elastic and a triple cover stitch but the end results were worth it.  It will take more practice for me to get used to that one. 

I also used a rolled hem with the rainbow variegated serger thread to make the edge match the rainbow fabric.  I was so excited about how it came together looking like it was all planned together.  

I made the bag stiff with a stiff machine washable lining so the tote would stand up, and not spill its contents all over the floor.  I learned some new techniques making this tote for my daughter.  She kept asking me if i would finish it soon all throughout the process.  I hope she likes the fun bright colors.

Learning how to serge beads onto fabric

I was playing with my serger tonight and tried a new technique.  I used the beading foot and sewed these little 4 mm beads onto a cover-up I made some time ago.  Who knew embellishing with a serger was so easy. 

Here is a close-up of the beads serged directly onto the fabric.  I am so excited about the beading foot.  I just couldn't wait to try it.  I know two little princesses who are going to want some fancy beads sewn on their dresses.

Serged ribbon roses

I made ribbon roses today that I might make into hair barrettes for my girls.  I just need to get some tiny clips  to attach them to. I always have long scraps of fabric leftover from various projects I make. I knew someday I would get brave enough to try something new.

Today I serged some of the fabric strips into long ribbons. I used a three thread rolled hem on the serger with woolly nylon overlock thread for a smooth beautiful sharp looking edge.






From the serged fabric ribbons, I made a fancy ribbon rose. I am obsessed with figuring out how to make fabric flowers right now. A serger definitely makes this very possible and fun. Apparently it is an addiction that I cannot seem to shake. So, above is my first official fancy fabric ribbon rose.






Then, I thought I have an extra strip of this sheer vibrant purple leftover from a ring scarf I made today and you guessed it. I serged another fabric ribbon and turned it into a rose too.  Then, I serged a few more.

I just might have to dig through all my scraps and make more of these fun little ribbon fabric flowers.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

January 4, 2009 We finally have Window Treatments in the front room

Through the magic of my Babylock Serger and thanks to a little help from a little old sewing machine, the curtains in the front room are now hanging.  Although I am ecstatic to have the curtains up, I just can't help but notice how awful that chair looks in the rooms now.  It looks worse in this photo than it does in real life.  Scott had our house built in 2000 and up until today, we had no window treatments.  After I made the ducky costume for Sophia on Halloween, Scott started shopping around for sewing machines for me strangley enough.  He knows my sewing machine was seriously damaged in the process, but I had it repaired.    One day he straight out asked me what kind of sewing machine would it take for me to make curtains for our house. I told him I had everything I needed except the fabric and the Serger thread.  A few days later, I found myself in the fabric store picking out fabric with my husband and Sophia.  I told him about the curtains I had sewn many years ago in my apartment in Cape Girardeau in college and he decided I could give it a shot here in the house.  So the above photo is the result.  I think he was impressed.  Now, we are onto another project. 

We have also bought fabric for the theatre room downstairs which I will be attempting soon.  We have an Atrium style house with windows all across the back so there is lots of sunshine peeking in the windows.  I have yet to purchase the blackout fabric that will be attached to the curtains to keep the sunshine out of the basement for the theatre room. This will be my biggest project yet since I have never made curtains that would be hung on a remote control sliding track.  This could be very interesting.